RONNY DEILA hosted a party yesterday afternoon and found himself entertained by an old acquaintance.
As his side produced the requisite tricks to keep a capacity crowd happy - five goals ought to do it - Deila found some of his pleasure came from an unlikely source with forgotten man Stefan Scepovic rising to the occasion by bagging two of his side's five goals.
In many ways the football offered was little more than a statistical footnote. The Celtic players emerged from the tunnel to wall-to-wall green and white with 'Walk On' thundered out and a large 'Champions' montage awaiting them. In keeping with the celebratory tone they were quick off the mark to supply a steady stream of party games to keep their guests satiated.
It was the element of surprise that offered some intrigue. That Celtic romped to victory over an Inverness side that clearly had other things on their mind - seven of those expected to be handed a start at Hampden next weekend as the Highlanders play in their first ever Scottish Cup Final were rested - would not have raised an eyebrow, but that two of the goals came from Scepovic, the £2m striker who has spent most of the season getting the cold shoulder, was noteworthy.
From the minute that first goal went in any resolve John Hughes' side had taken into the game was punctured as quickly as a Scott Brown boot through a plastic beachball. There were barely five minutes on the clock when Scepovic was embroiled in a whodunit mystery. Stefan Johansen's free-kick was floated into the Inverness box where Virgil van Dijk rose higher than anyone to nod a header across the face of the goal. Nir Bitton and Scepovic both went for the ball and while it appeared that Bitton got the final touch to stab it over the line - it was the Israeli who received the plaudits of his team-mates - the stadium announcer decided that it was Scepovic who had knocked the ball over.
It was the kind of day when the the striker could easily have been the recipient of a sympathy vote. Celtic Park was in benevolent mood - to the extent that a blatant handball from Danny Williams from the head of Virgil van Dijk that was overlooked by referee Kevin Clancy was met with grumbles rather than letters to the SFA - and such has been the wretchedness of the season Scepovic has endured that any gifts were gleefully taken.
The striker has mustered just five goals in 25 appearances since his arrival at the club but with a contract that stretches until 2018 he is something of a problem child for Deila. The Celtic manager has been able to cajole a change in attitude and application from James Forrest, Leigh Griffiths and Bitton this season and it remains to be seen if he can spin gold from straw by teasing both confidence and form from Scepovic.
By the time yesterday's game had hit the 20-minute mark even Scepovic would have been breathing easy. Johansen netted the second after a one-two with Brown and Stuart Armstong teed up Emilio Izaguirre who squeezed his way between Gary Warren and Ryan Christie to cut the ball back for the Norwegian midfielder. It was the 13th of the season for Johansen who celebrated with a salute to a crowd happy to return the plaudit in kind.
By the time the hour mark came round Scepovic was gasping, his lack of first-team football evident. Thrown a lifeline from the bench in the form of a sugary sports drink he was able to hang on long enough to round off a decent afternoon's work. It was Scepovic who started and finished the move which led to Celtic's third when he collected possession and slipped the ball to Jahansen. The midfielder used the outside of his boot to supply James Forrest and the winger hared his way goalwards before offering a perfectly weighted ball across the face of goal for Scepovic to convert.
There was no ambiguity about the Serb's second but the question remains about whether he has it in him to do it on a consistent basis - and whether or not he will get the chance to prove it.
Inverness found it hard to venture out their own area and when they did there was little joy. Tarmo Kink had one effort that sailed wide of the target but Celtic goalkeeper Crag Gordon could have watched the game with a glass of champers and a 'championees' flag draped around his shoulders for all that he was troubled.
Watched by former Celtic manager, Neil Lennon, who was at the game in a media capacity as he did his stuff for Sky Sports, the Parkhead side were reminded of the demands that will always surround the club. A colourful number '10' was raised midway through the second period, the loaded number serving notice that this particular period of domestic dominance, started by Lennon who oversaw three of these four successive titles, is something that Celtic will not relinquish lightly.
As the game wore on there was an inevitability about further goals. Armstrong ought to have claimed one of them - the midfielder skelped an effort high over the bar after being teed up Forrest - but it mattered little.
Kris Commons, Charlie Mulgrew and Leigh Griffiths came late to the celebrations but brought gifts of their own; Griffiths offered up the fourth to take his tally to a credible 20 for the season, an impressive return given his lack of involvement in the opening half of the campaign. Commons bagged the fifth as the game drew to a close and a season that began in turmoil ended with sunshine and silverware.
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